On Thursday, June 1st Madison Middle School will be hosting an evening event to discuss the NETFLIX original series 13 Reasons Why and the topic of suicide/self-harm. We will be providing information on community resources.

We know
that summer is approaching. Some of our students may have more
unstructured time without the daily supports of the school. Some
concerned parents and students brought to our attention that some of our
students are watching 13 Reasons Why
without adult supervision. The NETFLIX series is based on the young
adult book of the same name by Jay Asher. The story chronicles the
thirteen reasons a young woman has for committing suicide. There are
graphic scenes depicting suicide and other adult content in the show.
Its online availability makes it possible for students to engage in this
complex subject matter without guidance.

The show
addresses serious issues that are difficult to talk about and may not
be appropriate for your family. We want to be a resource and partner for
all of our families. Below are links to two suicide prevention
organizations and a blog post geared towards teens, entitled “13 things
teens should know before watching 13 Reasons Why on Netflix”. Each website has talking points for families to use when discussing the series and the topic of suicide.